Worn out by private wars, the nobles let down their guard against the encroaching prerogative of kings and let their liberties slip away without ever taking an intelligent stand against the centralizing power.

Iraq may be one of the problems, but it can only be dealt with not as a private war but as part of a global campaign, which will involve statesmanship as well as arms.

The Americans ended up waging their own private war against a warlord who was solidly entrenched in the political system of his country.